A fund has been established in Hawaii to assist the families of six Irish students who died after a fourth-floor balcony collapsed at an apartment building in Berkeley, California. All of the students were in America for the summer on J1 educational visas.

The Berkeley J1 Student Tragedy Aloha Fund is administered by The Society of The Friends of St. Patrick Hawaii, an organization formed in Hawaii in 1955 to provide assistance to Irish immigrants, native Irish and those of Irish descent.

“This is a tragedy that touches us all,” said Noel Trainor, honorary Irish counsel to Hawaii. “The funds we raise will assist the immediate needs of the students and their families, who must now cope with the loss of their children in a place far from home.”

The Society of the Friends of Saint Patrick chairman Bill Comerford said “In a week full of tragedies and sad headlines we Irish of Hawaii, are particularly sympathetic to these families facing such sad losses so far from home. We wish to aid those who face this tragic circumstance and ask those of like feelings to join us by extending a hand of aloha.”

“We ask that you keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers,” Trainor said. Contributions to the fund may be made in three ways:

Visit any branch of American Savings Bank and deposit a check made payable to the Friends of Saint Patrick with a memo line Berkeley J1 Aloha Fund to Account # 81028 32968

Mail a check to The Friends of St. Patrick, PO Box 2178, Honolulu, HI, 96805. The check should be made out to The Friends of St. Patrick and should include Berkeley J1 Aloha Fund in the memo line.

There's so much happening in our Celtic Community that we're now focusing on getting the word out to the Friend's of St. Patrick members so that they can enjoy the friendship and camaraderie of all of our local organizations including:

Society of the Friends of St. Patrick of Hawai'i

Saint Andrew Society of Hawai'i

Caledonian Society

Celtic Pipes & Drums of Hawai'i

Scottish American Military Society Post 808

Hawai'i Scottish Association

Royal Scottish Country Dance Society

Hawai'i Irish Dance

Thanks to the leaders and members of these organizations for coming together to support each other and further Celtic culture in Hawai'i. Click on the links below for the latest Celtic Calendar and Irish Music Calendar and make plans to come to an event this month.

Finally, if you're not a member, just click on the 'Sign Up' link to the right and you can join online! We'll be looking forward to seeing you soon.

Irish generosity over the years

This year, the annual World Giving Index ranked Ireland as the most generous country in Europe, based on data gathered from the Gallup World Poll about respondents' charitable activities.

A rich legacy of Irish giving exists on both sides of the Atlantic. Consider Philadelphia's Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, a society dedicated to providing education and charity for more than 240 years.

"The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick is one of the most dynamic and vibrant charitable and education-oriented forces in the Philadelphia Irish community," asserts Thomas Lyons 2d, the group's historian.

Founded in 1771 to provide relief for Irish immigrants, the Friendly Sons included many Revolutionary notables: Thomas Fitzsimons, Robert Morris, and Commodore John Barry, "father of the American navy." George Washington was made an honorary member in 1782. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin attended some of the group's early meetings.

As Irish immigration to America swelled in the 1840s due to the Great Hunger, the charitable work of the Friendly Sons grew accordingly. Benevolent efforts soon expanded beyond the Irish community - victims of the Johnstown flood and San Francisco earthquake, veterans of the Spanish-American War, and the Russian Jewish Relief Fund all received assistance.

After the 1922 establishment of the Irish Free State, the Friendly Sons donated $5,000 to alleviate the suffering of those affected by hostilities.

As conditions in Ireland improved and immigration abated, the focus of the group shifted to promoting closer ties between America and Ireland. The installation of the Barry statue outside Independence Hall and the Fitzsimons monument in Logan Square evidenced this new direction and showed the contribution of the Irish to American society. Since World War II, the Friendly Sons have also provided scholarships for Irish graduate students to study in America.

The Friendly Sons is the second-oldest continuously meeting Irish organization in the United States, and currently has more than 1,200 members.

Latest Activity

HAWAII IRISH DANCE CEILI & DINNER07/26/20153:00-8:00pmAnna O'Brien's Pub2440 S. Beretania St.Come join us for fun dancing, great music, and tasty food at the third Hawaii Irish Dance Ceili and Dinner event!Dancing: Ceili dances are lively group dances that draw on the folk traditions of Ireland. Some dances have roots in other countries, such as England, Scotland, or France. Many of the dances performed at ceilis have been passed down for hundreds of years, while others are more recent.At…See More

Friends of St Patrick fundraiser!Beltaine is the Northwest's premier Celtic Fusion band that features hammered dulcimer, guitar, accordion, marimbula, flute, bass, and drums. Depending on the venue and the show, we range from a duo to a quintet offering a unique blend of Scottish, Irish, and original music with diverse musical influences. $9 Advance, $12 at the doorThis is a smoke-free showChildren under 18 admitted free with an…See More

This class will teach the social dances of Ireland. Ceili and set dances are fun to do and easy to learn. There is minimal footwork required, and you can learn and perform dances from your very first lesson. Fun for all ages and dance levels.This class will be held on the first Tuesday of every month.What to bring: Clothes: Please wear comfortable, non-restricting workout clothing. There is no required uniform for class, but you should be able to move and sweat.Shoes: New students should wear…See More

Join us for a pub crawl through downtown Honolulu in honor of James Joyce's literary figure. We'll leave from O'Toole's at 4:30 pm and head to Murphy's, Ferguson's, JJ Dolan's and back to O'Toole's.Intended plan4:30-5:30pm O'Toole's5:30 6:15pm Murphy’s6:25-7:15pm Ferguson’s7:30-8:15 JJ Dolan’s8:15 Back to O'Toole’s This is very approximate.Our intent is to spend…See More

Co-sponsored by The Saint Andrew Society of Hawaii, The Friends of St. Patrick, & The Caledonian Society of Hawaii.- RSVP: Nancy Smiley at SASHawaii@icloud.com or (808) 371-0819 (call/text)-- Non-Military (without Military/DoD Identification Card): For those age 16 & older, we must have your RSVP, NO LATER THAN JUNE 25th. Please include NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, CONTACT PHONE NUMBER, and EMAIL ADDRESS of all attendees. We need this information so…See More

They're coming to Hawaii!! 3 Shows!Beltaine is the Northwest's premier Celtic Fusion band that features hammered dulcimer, guitar, accordion, marimbula, flute, bass, and drums. Depending on the venue and the show, we range from a duo to a quintet offering a unique blend of Scottish, Irish, and original music with diverse musical influences. We hope you enjoy our music! See More

They're coming to Hawaii!! 3 Shows!Beltaine is the Northwest's premier Celtic Fusion band that features hammered dulcimer, guitar, accordion, marimbula, flute, bass, and drums. Depending on the venue and the show, we range from a duo to a quintet offering a unique blend of Scottish, Irish, and original music with diverse musical influences. We hope you enjoy our music! See More

On Sunday we play the Wild Shamrocks for the honor of owning the Golden Pratie (Potato) and as such it is appropriate to keep our membership meeting in theme with the Potato as our subject and address the Friends on a History of the Potato Famine in IrelandBill Comerford presents how it came about and how it affected Ireland's population.Bring Potato themed dishes for the usual feed for everyone!See More

The Emerald Ball is one of the very best parties hosted by The Friends of St. Patrick. The Ball is a night filled with kilts, kegs, corned beef, cabbage, Irish Music, Dance, Song and Whiskey! Come to visit with old friends and make some new ones!

The following have stepped up to the plate and offered their services and at our last Board of Directors meeting these gentlemen were added as Directors, Matt McConnell, Chuck Wall, and Clark Ratliffe, we also named Joshua Beal as an alternate director.

Ian Wilson has donated a large number of books many of which are unique and difficult to find. They are in the E & J Lounge offices above at 10 Marin Lane. These books will be reference only and may be viewed or used by appointment. Please Contact Bill Comerford to use them.